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OCEANS EXPERIENCES

  • The Wild Dolphins of the Southern Red Sea
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    The Wild Dolphins of the Southern Red Sea
    Diving alongside these intelligent, curious and playful creatures will leave you with many happy, lasting memories.



    Worthy of its title as one of the Seven underwater Wonders of the World, diving the Red Sea, with its lush coral reefs, magnificent sunken wrecks and a dazzling variety of marinelife is a dive enthusiast’s dream come true. Situated between Asia and Africa, the Red Sea begins at the Suez Canal in the North and runs all the way down, past Ethiopia to join the Gulf of Aden in the South. The Northern Red Sea is known for excellent wreck diving opportunities while the Southern Red Sea is known for its huge wall drops, strong currents and thrilling pelagic action.

    Diving in the Southern Red Sea is sure to get your adrenaline pumping with regular encounters with sharks, including the oceanic whitetip shark and the hammerhead shark, guaranteed on dives. However, if you are a more reserved diver or would like to take a break from the action Abu Dabbab offers excellent opportunities for diving alongside the rare and docile dugong and ‘Dolphin House Reef’ is home to many playful dolphins.

    One of the best places to dive alongside wild dolphins is off the coast of Marsa Alam at Sammadai Reef, also known as ‘Dolphin House’, where over 100 dolphins frequently visit. This semi-circle sheltered reef provides the best conditions for diving, with its crystal clear, calm waters and gentle ocean currents. Since the dolphins are naturally curious, close encounters these intelligent creatures are common.
  • The Gentle Giants of Cenderawasih
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    The Gentle Giants of Cenderawasih
    Cenderswasih Bay is best known for its magnificent sightings of whale sharks throughout the year. Diving with these gentle giants is a magical experience sure to delight you with memories that will last a lifetime.

    In Indonesia’s Papua and West Papua regions lies Cenderawasih Bay, a diving location that is becoming increasingly famous throughout the world. Declared a marine national park in 2002, Cenderawasih Bay offers unrivalled whale shark encounters, beautiful reefs, diverse marine life and fascinating wrecks.

    Cenderawasih Bay is famous for its whale shark encounters. The fishermen use nets, filled with small fish, to attract the bigger fish for catching. However, the whale sharks have learnt how to suck the fish out of the nets, resulting in six or seven of these gentle giants congregating around each platform at a time. Whale shark encounters are always special; however, they are brief and often only involve one of these magnificent creatures. Cenderawasih, on the other hand, sets itself apart as a location where you can see many whale sharks at a time, at a very close range for extended periods of times.

    Whale shark sightings are what attract most divers to this remote, idyllic location; however, an array of other diving opportunities makes Cenderawasih Bay truly special. When exploring other areas of the bay you will find beautiful coral reefs, home to a variety of endemic marine life, dolphins, sharks, dugongs and four different species of turtle. The abundance of fascinating aquatic life, along with it’s high percentage of endemic species, is why Cenderawasih Bay is known by some as the ‘Galapagos of the East’. Cenderawasih Bay is also home to many WWII shipwrecks and sunken planes, the most fascinating being Shinwa Maru. Lying at depths from 16 to 34 metres, the Shinwa Maru is a 120m Japanese cargo ship that was sunk in 1944 by US forces. Scattered with many fascinating artefacts and displaying its two large blast holes from its deadly demise, this sunken history is incredible for those who love wreck diving.

    A visit to Cenderawasih Bay is almost guaranteed to give you the best whale shark experience of your life and what makes this location extremely unique is that the gentle giants are present all year round.
  • Manta Night Dive Hawaii
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    Manta Night Dive Hawaii
    Under the cover of darkness, along the sandy ocean floor is where the thrill of a Manta Night Dive begins. Illuminated by spotlights these graceful swimmers will inspire and amaze you as they glide effortlessly through the water in a mesmerising display of their elegance, grace and beauty.



    The Kona coast of Hawaii is a world class diving destination with magnificent underwater landscapes, populated with lush coral gardens and bordered by intriguing lava formations. World famous for its Manta Night Dive, divers and snorkelers come from all over the world to witness this spectacle.

    A Manta Night Dive begins after sunset as divers submerge themselves into the water, all the way down to the sandy ocean floor. Surrounded by powerful spotlights the thrill of the Manta Dive begins as divers wait in anticipation for their first sighting of a manta ray. Attracted by thousands of glistening specs of plankton illuminated by the spotlights, the manta rays slowly begin to reveal themselves from the depths of darkness into the beams of light, circling above divers in preparation for a feast. As the manta rays begin their decent divers will have an opportunity for close encounters as they dive down towards the spotlights, scooping up as much plankton as they can stomach, before pulling up again. This hypnotising display will leave you breathless as the spotlights make for an imaginary underwater wonderland while the manta rays glide gracefully through the beams, performing somersaults and back-flips with ease.

    Other Islands in Hawaii, namely Ohio, Big Island, Maui and Kauai also offer a wealth of experiences with breath-taking scenery, from magnificent underwater lava landscapes, home to a fascinating variety of endemic marinelife to pristine sandy beaches bordering smouldering volcanoes. Take a relaxing kayak over crystal clear tranquil waters, a thrilling helicopter ride over an erupting volcano or enjoy the nostalgia of diving a sunken shipwreck, whatever your desire Hawaii will see it come true.
  • The Great White experience Cape Town
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    The Great White experience Cape Town
    Great White Sharks evoke an unexplainable fascination in their human admirers. From their large gaping jaws, lined with rows of razor sharp teeth to their sheer strength and agility, it’s no wonder why these impressive creatures are the apex predators of the ocean.



    Diving with sharks in their natural habitat is an exhilarating experience, sure to get your blood pumping. South Africa is one of the few Great White hot spots in the world, offering excellent diving opportunities with the infamous Great White Shark.

    The Gansbaai area, including Dyer Island and the legendary Shark Alley is considered the shark diving capital of the world, offering unparalleled opportunities to observe, encounter and cage dive with sharks, in particular the Great White Shark. The thrill of a close encounter with the most revered predator of the ocean is the ultimate adrenaline filled diving experience.

    Cage diving is a common way of getting up close and personal with these fearsome creatures. A cage dive usually begins with throwing a bucket of mashed sardines and fish oil, commonly known as chum, into the ocean to attract sharks to the boat. Once the sharks surround the boat a chunk of bait is attached to a buoy and the cage is lowered into the water. Cage diving does not require any dive experience and all equipment is provided on board, including a wetsuit. A dive can last up to 20 minutes and is usually done in the morning. If you’re lucky you may just get an opportunity to witness the formidable Great White hunting, as it explodes of out the water in an action known as breaching, displaying its sheer strength, agility and speed.

    The best time for viewing The Great White Shark is divided into two main seasons. During the months from April to September Great Whites are located around Dryer Island and Geyser Rock, while during the months from September through to March the sharks are predominantly located around Shark Bay. Visibility is generally better during the months from May to August, It is therefore recommended to dive during this period.
  • The Passage at Kri
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    The Passage at Kri
    A magical winding river passage between two islands, where overhanging tree branches meet giant sea fans and underwater passages and hidden grottos awaken your curiosity and tempt you to explore further.

    The passage at Kri is a one-of-a-kind dive site located between the islands of Gam and Waigo in Raja Ampat. The nutrient rich river, that spans over 30m wide and 5m deep flows between the two islands, blessing the area with spectacular underwater scenery and unusual microhabitats. A dazzling variety of colourful giant sea sans, crinoids and nudibranchs cover the passage walls and are home to a large variety of macro life creatures including, pygmy seahorses, reindeer wrasse, clingfish, squat lobsters and crinoid shrimps.
SATSA No. 207
 

Hartley’s Safaris is registered with Southern Africa Tourism Association Registration number 207.

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Hartley’s Safaris
South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Reg no: 2001/006019/07
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Copyright © 2016 Hartley's Safaris SA

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T/A Hartleys Safaris
Registered in England No. 2348880
Copyright © 2016 Hartley's Safaris UK

SATSA No. 207
 

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Our ATOL number is ATOL 3958. Many of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website.

Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected.

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